Dicker named Victoria's bushfire recovery chief

Richard Willingham

Former Hawthorn president Ian Dicker has been named the new head of the Victorian Bushfires Reconstruction and Recovery Authority.

Mr Dicker replaces former police chief Christine Nixon, who quit last month amid a storm of controversy over her performance on Black Saturday.

He said he was not daunted by the large task and was excited and looking forward to serving the community.

‘‘I’m a businessman and I’m looking principally to help the small to medium business community of the area, different altogether from Christine who supported emotionally,’’ Mr Dicker said.

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Mr Dicker will donate all of his salary to yet-to-be specified bushfire charity.

He said he has briefly spoken to his predecessor and is expected to again meet Ms Nixon tomorrow when he visits Marysville.

Ms Nixon stood down last month after admitting she spent the evening of Black Saturday dining with friends at a North Melbourne restaurant.

He said his role at Hawthorn was a learning experience in serving the community.

Mr Dicker will formally begin his role on Monday.

Premier John Brumby said the role was perfect for Mr Dicker.

‘‘Ian is a person with great experience in business, someone who knows about creating investment and generating jobs,’’ Mr Brumby said.

‘‘Ian is a great team-builder and we saw that in his time as president of the Hawthorn Football Club, a club that was basically pretty much on its knees until Ian took over.’’

Mr Brumby said the bushfire authority would formally complete its work by June next year.

Mr Dicker served as president of the Hawthorn Football Club from 1997 to 2005, and is widely attributed with being one of a small group of people instrumental in turning around the club’s fortunes, both on the field and on the balance sheet.

He stepped into the Hawthorn presidency following the failed merger with Melbourne Football Club in 1996. By securing games in Tasmania and the deal to set up a training base at Waverley, he was able to return the club to prosperity.

He and stand-in chief executive Jason Dunstall were behind the appointment of coach Alastair Clarkson at the end of a success-starved 2004 season. Four years later the young coach delivered a premiership to the club.

In 2008, Mr Dicker was announced as the co-chair of the Victorian Aboriginal Economic Development Group. He is also the owner and chairman of of Steritech Pty Ltd, a Melbourne-based medical sterilisation company founded in the 1970s which now operates throughout Australia and Asia-Pacific region.

He was also the international managing director of Ansell from 1974 to 1989, which was a global, $600 million company at the time of his departure.

He is a former director of companies including Australian Wheat Board and was a senior associate of the Melbourne School of Business.